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Elections 2020 – Day 48…

April 20, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 16

P. 15

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

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Moses to Claudette:

Int’l observers must be quarantined for 2 weeks; no counting after 6pm P. 3

Nothing doing: Boats moored at the Number 66 Fishing Complex, Corentyne; 100’s out of jobs

P. 14

Pregnant mother who PPP asks GECOM Chair to kills husband wants clarify lingering recount on live streaming; exclusion help with bail money issues - insist of tainted elements in process P. 10

P. 7

Contracts granted to Exxon’s associates:

World Bank also breached its public disclosure rules- German NGO P. 2

Monday April 20, 2020

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Kaieteur News

ELECTIONS 2020 – DAY 48…

Moses to Claudette:

Int’l observers must be quarantined for 2 weeks; no counting after 6pm Prime Minister and Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Moses Nagamootoo, has outlined a number of stipulations to Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, which if acted on could delay the start of the recount by at least two weeks.

His comments, made on Day 48 of Elections 2020 in his weekly column ‘My Turn’ in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle, are in response to a letter from the GECOM’s Chair requesting guidance from the Task Force on ensuring the recount adheres to public health guidelines according to the COVID-19 measures.

Nagamootoo said he wrote to Singh, to inform her that GECOM’s 10-hour work schedule should fall within the daily 6am to 5pm time frame and does not extend into the nighttime night time curfew period (6pm-6am).

Commissioner Vincent Alexander had told reporters that GECOM hoped to have the recount run for 10 hours a day, starting from 9am, but that it was necessary to get the necessary permissions from the Task Force to go beyond curfew hours.

Even though several categories of workers were deemed by the Ministry of Public Health’s order to be essential, ones at Guyana’s electoral agency was not so lucky.

Government-nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, had not anticipated any difficulty on this front. However, since the PM’s response to the Chair, Alexander said that the Commission would now have to discuss the likelihood of starting the recount earlier in the day than previously planned.

Nagamootoo also spoke to another issue the Chair sought clarity on…that is... required protocols for quarantining persons coming from abroad, and who were invited to be part of the recount process.

The Government has been quarantining all incomers for 14 days, ever since it closed Guyana’s air space to commercial flights weeks ago.

This measure, meant to contain the spread of the virus in Guyana, does not exclude international observers if they are granted special entry by the Guyana

Arthur Chung Conference Centre

Prime Minister and Chair of National COVID-19 Task Force, Moses Nagamootoo

GECOM Chair, (ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh SC

Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

That much was made clear in the Prime Minister’s article yesterday.

This could prevent international observers from coming at all. But in lieu of their presence, the Chair of GECOM also has to consider a proposal by CARICOM for the recount to be streamed live for the viewership of its team and the observer missions.

The third stipulation presented to the Chair by Nagamootoo is that GECOM should allow four technical experts of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) to conduct a site visit to assess whether distancing arrangements conform to the pandemic guidelines and the published Order.

The Prime Minister did not mention a response to the Chair’s question of how many persons would be safely accommodated at the recount venue, but that determination is likely to depend on the visit of the four technical experts to the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

The Prime Minister premised his statements by saying that the pandemic is one that requires a collective

approach by all of the society, and that it would be cruel for anyone to politicize the pandemic “in selfish pursuit of narrow partisan ends.”

Alexander told Kaieteur News yesterday that it was important for GECOM to solicit clarity from the Task Force, and that GECOM can now work with what it knows.

His colleague over on the Opposition side, Sase Gunraj, expressed some disgruntled views at the Prime Minister’s statements yesterday.

In a Facebook post, he wrote “the Forces strike again”, a nod to a statement made by the CARICOM Chair and Barbados, Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

After APNU+AFC candidate Ulita Moore successfully got the Court to grant the interim injunctions, Mottley had said that there are forces who do not want to see the votes counted.

Gunraj yesterday said that the political posture of the members of the ministerial Task Force presents a direct conflict of interest where decisions on this matter are concerned; that the requisite decisions should have been made by GECOM and merely communicated to the Task Force.

Gunraj acknowledged the seriousness of COVID-19 but

added that the circumstances allow “the very people who conspired to thwart the will of the electorate… to be involved in the process by which it is restored”.

WHEN WILL THE RECOUNT BEGIN? HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? If international observers come to see the recount inperson, they will be quarantined for two weeks.

While GECOM could possibly take care of the other logistics of the recount in less time, it would have to wait until the two-week quarantine ends for each observer, for the recount to begin.

Assuming all of the international observers arrive in Guyana today; in that situation, GECOM would wait until about May 5 at the end of the quarantine to start the recount.

However, since the observers have not even been found to have indicated whether they will come, the actual start date of the recount

would drag on, even further past May 5.

The duration of the recount depends principally on a few factors: the number of counting stations, the time spent to examine each ballot box, and the daily working hours. The GECOM Chair has not been precise on the number of counting stations that will be used, save to say that they should be “no more than 10”.

The exact determination likely depends on an examination of the recount arrangements by the technical experts supplied by the COVID-19 Task Force.

As for the time spent on each ballot box, it will vary depending on the number of ballots in each.

Also to be considered is that the count is not merely numerical. Commissioners said that the count will mirror the procedures necessary at the close of polls on Election Day, which include ascertaining the veracity of all the contents of the ballot

box and ensuring that the numbers are balanced.

There are 2,339 ballot boxes to be examined.

Commissioners and the Secretariat had posed that the average time spent on a box would be one hour, or two.

Alexander had told reporters that the consensus appears to be one and a half hour.

GECOM contemplates having the recount go on for 10 hours a day.

Under Task Force guidelines, GECOM would have to begin the recount at 7am every day, but even that is not likely, seeing as it would leave no time for the GECOM staffers, party representatives or observers to break. Assuming that GECOM counts for eight hours a day with 10 counting stations at an average rate of one and a half hour per ballot box, it would take 44 days to complete the recount.

Under this scenario, Guyana would be lucky to have a new Government by late June.

PAGE 4

Monday April 20, 2020

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: SHARMAIN GRAINGER Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

GECOM’s announcement of a non-decision The email sent out from GECOM on Friday last would have been better if it had stayed in the ‘pending’ or ‘draft’ folders.

It should have stayed there until more specific details were incorporated and then ready for dissemination. Some of those details would represent, in essence, specific answers to the questions and issues that have plagued Guyanese, for 48 days as of today.

Instead, what was embodied in the email bordered on the unreal and the contemptuous.

Sometimes if there is nothing sensible to offer, it is better to keep quiet, and be thought of as foolish. For what came from GECOM was the equivalent of an opening of the mouth and proving how disoriented and disconnected is the mind of its leadership (how foolish and lost it is) in relation to its obligations to public and principle. And further, how disparaging it is towards the tense expectations of Guyanese voters, which are dashed on an uninterrupted basis.

As identified by KN in its April 18 headline, some specifics would have gone a far way in leading citizens and watchers to believe that tangible progress is being made.

And that Elections 2020 could be closer to being put to bed, to its final long delayed and overdue resting place, if that could be conceived after all that has happened. This thing has a life of its own, more than a centipede it would seem, for every time there is the sense that there is inching up another rung towards closure, there is falling back through the disingenuous, the disturbing, and the dangerous.

To put matters kindly, the Chair and the Secretariat’s senior officers make themselves appear completely compromised at the worst time. It has been an inexplicable and inexcusable interval of time, which leaves this society on tenterhooks, raises many alarms, and fuels many pentup fears and suspicions. The worst is imagined. The Chair, by her actions and inactions, by her words and muteness, and by this latest email development (an insult, if there ever was one) looks more than distressed and disembodied; she seems torn among a number of options, none of them honourable or wholesome. To be very candid, the Chair looks as though she is marshaling and deploying intellect and wit, and the knowledge and skills garnered from long experience, to deliver the unacceptable and the treacherous.

From our perspective, it is as if she is bending over backwards, buying (or wasting) time, and probing for any sliver of an opening to ram the unthinkable through the process over which she stands as the final arbiter. We have thought long and hard before using a word that is powered by commonsense and current circumstances, and which keeps repeating itself, as it flashes before conscience and consciousness.

That word is deceptive. And as most should have little difficulty tracing either to its source or wherever it leads, the deceptive has as its main characteristics mostly patented trickeries, the controversially disturbing, and the pervasively problematic.

We cannot help thinking this way and ending up in this sorriest of states. For this is where all the shenanigans and tomfooleries point with irrefutable substance, with powerful wisdom. For this is how the dots of March 3 and thereafter connect and to where the trajectory of each incredible development from GECOM’s governing brain trust has compelled.

There is no benefit of any doubt left to extend to the leadership of GECOM. Regrettably, at the head of the list is the Chairperson in whom trust is exhausted, and confidence is at such a low ebb, that there is nothing left to give and nowhere left for us to go.

It is unfortunate that the senior management of GECOM and its Chair have backed themselves into a dishonourable corner with no escape route. When both retreated from their responsibilities via resorting to the chicaneries witnessed, then we, too, have no alternative but to call matters as they are. This is necessitated by the overpowering accumulation of failures, and the sheer force of circumstances.

How much longer will this charade continue? What new Machiavellian ploys remain to be employed? We urge the Chair: do the right thing. Take the lead for the right way forward.

Shame on you, Moses Nagamootoo Dear Editor, Moses Nagamootoo has done it again with his foolish statement to quarantine the international observers.

It is a ploy to delay the recounting of the votes and steal the elections. I thought that you were a man of principle, but apparently, you were not. This remains true today.

The same way you believe in the quarantine laws, you should also believe in the Constitution.

The Constitution states that election results should be declared 15 days after an election is held.

It is more than 40 days since the elections and you have not said a word. Why are you silent?

The only reason is that you are only interested in

power for yourself, which is selfish, narcissistic and pitiful.

This leads me to believe that when you said you fought Burnham for democracy and fair and free elections, you were lying.

What you fought for was the power for yourself just as you are doing now.

But you will not get it. If you do not know, then let me tell you, your political career is not only in shambles, it is disgraceful and it has ended.

Anywhere you go, you will be picketed. Your silly actions have made it difficult for you to venture into the public after your political career is over.

If according to you, APNU/AFC has won the elections, then you should be happy to have the votes

recounted swiftly but you continue to put obstacles in the way of the recount.

You are doing a disservice to the people and the country.

You are not welcomed on the Corentyne, including Whim Village where you were born and you know it.

That was the reason you could not have campaigned on the Corentyne.

It is shameful what you are doing to the country.

You are holding an entire nation hostage for your personal political ambitions. Moses, you are over 70 years, it is time to exit the political scene.

For the past five years, you were clueless as to the development of the country.

Granger relegated you to be the Prime Minister of the Chronicle newspapers

because he did not trust you and he realised that you are visionless and has little competence.

That is why he placed Joseph Harmon over you. To say the things you are saying and to act them out is nothing but ghetto behaviour. Shame on you Moses.

Your lust for power have left me no choice but to end our friendship.

I am a principled person who has put the country first but you are not. Looking back, I believe that all that you have said in the past about the PNCR and rigging elections and the PPP/C were to enhance your political ambitions. You were not concerned about the poor people of the country, but only Moses.

Dr. Asquith Rose

The Private Sector stands resolute, focused and remains the engine of growth DEAR EDITOR, There has been a stream of negativity against the Private Sector in the print media recently. While the Private Sector is quite capable of addressing these issues, I feel saddened to see the poor quality of the local discourse and the stereotyping of the owners of large businesses as greedy and selfish.

These qualities may be more suited to Guyana’s political class. It has been my experience that while the politicians are making a mess of governing the nation, it is the Private Sector that stands resolute, focused and remains the engine of growth of our society.

It is within the Private Sector that one can find the testosterone and the brains, the empathy and the love that keeps this nation from imploding.

And yes, profit is necessary to any functioning business entity. No farmer plants rice because the world needs to eat - he plants rice because he needs to eat.

Businesses must generate profits, otherwise there will be no economic growth. So let us back off from trying to treat the word profit as if it is a profanity.

My own recent experience with charity organisations in this nation testifies that I could find no woman or man from within the Government or NGO communities that would offer support to a homeless single father. That support came from the Private Sector and it came with grace and privacy befitting of the act of charity. The writers attempting to defame the Private Sector are doing so on the basis that they do not see the Private Sector engaged in

acts of charity. Acts of charity, by their very nature, are required to be private. Semitic religions require that the left hand must not be familiar with what the right hand is doing when it comes to charity. Let it be known that the Private Sector of Guyana supports churches, mosques, temples, orphanages, construction of health facilities, sponsorship of children, renovation of homes and many other acts of charity.

The Private Sector together with remittances from overseas families are responsible for food on the table of many poor families in Guyana today - they are filling the policy gap of non existent social security in Guyana.

The fact of the matter is that all cross-sections of Guyanese society are rising to the challenge of supporting the vulnerable

within our society during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Cooperation comes naturally to the Guyanese people. The main challenge that we have in this country is not one of poor relations among our peoples. Our main challenge is a political one where the resources of the country are viewed as a prize to be possessed by corrupt politicians. While, as a nation, we are struggling to solve this hard global problem of corruption in politics, I am grateful for the strength of the local Private Sector and I am personally grateful for all the support that I have received on behalf of the people who I represent when the Government itself failed them because of its incapacity to support the human development of its citizens.

Sincerely, Sandra Khan

We have been placed in perilous waters DEAR EDITOR, The APNU/AFC/ Government of Guyana Dossier disseminated by a Joe Harmon in the “Capitals” of the world in a foolhardy attempt to defend intransigence of the Granger administration following the brazen/bizarre attempt at electoral fraud makes for interesting reading. The Dossier contains a narrative of PPP/China collusion and makes claims of a ten thousand acre military base for the People’s Liberation Army and of granting citizenship to the point where Chinese are supposedly ten percent of Guyana’s population, more than Amerindians! As with any document, however, it must

be fact-checked and in so doing, I have come across some interesting bits of information that show a pattern of continuous and growing Chinese involvement in Guyana’s affairs under the APNU/AFC/ Granger administration.

In 2016, the Chinese officials presented a masterplan for the development of every sector of Guyana to a team that included Raphael Trotman. Following this, a close relationship between the government and Huawei developed and a costly Artificial Intelligence software and hardware has been installed in Georgetown and that includes facial recognition, phone tracking, licence plate tracking, and

communications monitoring capabilities. This system has not been utilised to fight crime to date. It has been labelled the ‘Smart City’.

It is public record that many of the top brass of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has attended Military courses in China and there have been unusually large donations of vehicles, weapons, and ammunition to the GDF. There was secret testing of weapons in the Tacama savannahs that may have involved new technologies.

China is paying the entire cost of Guyana’s diplomatic team to the G77. This team provides support for the Chairmanship of the Group which is held by Guyana. I

believe this act is a betrayal of the trust placed in our country by the G77 members and has blackened the country’s name for the foreseeable future.

What price is Guyana paying for this benevolence?

Who gave the green light to this subversion of our sovereignty? This must be answered forthwith.

China is the only country (of nine) to provide Agreement for a new Ambassador, all of whom were appointed shortly before the Elections and who (Ambassadors) were asked to take up appointments by 9th of April. Canada and the UK are among the nations who refused to accept the (Continued on page 6)

Monday April 20, 2020

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Kaieteur News

The Corona has Stricken NY Guyanese Hard DEAR EDITOR, Richmond Hill and Flatbush are two of the most populated and bustling areas for Guyanese in America; there are several other enclaves of Guyanese. The two are among the liveliest outer areas of New York City, known for people who love to live life outdoors in the streets, roti shops, restaurants, bars, cafés, fast foods, parks, picnics, and so many Guyanese centered activities. But over the last month, life has not been normal with peoples’ lives upended.

When the holiest periods for Hindus (Navratri, Hanuman Jayanti, Arya Samaj foundation), Jews (Passover), and Christians (Good Friday and Easter) were observed, people have been confined indoors by a somewhat of a lockdown brought on by the Corona pandemic. The normal boisterous streets (of Little Guyana, Cypress Hills, Jamaica, Flatbush, Parkchester, among others that are centers of Guyanese shopping) teeming with people are still. Sadly, in Richmond Hill, Flatbush, and other business areas, the quiet has death in the air – with several victims, including many, many Guyanese, from the virus.

The corona is deadly among Guyanese – hard hit in Richmond Hill, Jamaica, Queens Village – dozens dead and hundreds, if not thousands positive with some on life support. It is advised that those who tested positive fight the virus at home. Many with symptoms have not been

tested because of shortage of test kits.

The quiet dead of the day or night is often punctuated by sirens of ambulances fetching the suspect Corona stricken sick to Jamaica or Maimonides or some other nearby hospitals. Every few minutes one hears an ambulance.

Then there is the occasional police car with blinking lights patrolling Flatbush and Liberty Avenues to ensure all is well and hydrants are not blocked as people try to park and purchase groceries at West Indian stores; police not strict on issuing tickets for violations. Food prices have almost doubled and there are also scarcities; some basic medical supplies are in shortage.

The bustle so common within Guyanese communities has now gone into homes where everyone is locked up; they invade each other’s space in small residences or apartments.

That is how the virus is transmitted. One carrier infects an entire family.

People do get around because essential workers must provide service. The public transport, including buses and trains, runs, but with less frequency than during normal times.

However, buses and trains local trains are almost empty.

The trains and buses are regularly cleaned with d i s i n f e c t a n t . Ye t , m o s t avoid mass transit to protect themselves from the virus and those who use mass transit ‘mask up’

and also have on other protective gear. Millions lost their jobs including thousands of Guyanese who are now on the breadline. Government is shoring up the unemployed with benefits.

At home, people are mostly watching news, press conferences of the M a y o r, G o v e r n o r, a n d President.

The TV news is focused mostly on the coronavirus pandemic and its deathly impact on city, state and country and the varied efforts to provide for those stricken by the virus. Many are on the Internet browsing or interacting with others via various social networks. They watch movies and or play online video games. They are bingeing on various TV series.

Te c h n i c a l l y savvy youngsters play games; schools are closed thru S e p t e m b e r. A n d p e o p l e tend to eat a lot putting on weight (not good for diabetes prone people); some take to dharoo. Some engage in exercise on stationary equipment. And like me, some drink warm liquids throughout the day hoping that would ward off the virus; so far, I am virus free.

I also read and write throughout the day on the diaspora. In addition, I take long walks for over an hour around my block to break the boredom of being home.

The daily deadly toll in numbers continue sadly.

Over 200,000 have been

confirmed to suffer from the COVID-19 virus in NYC. In NYC, it is over 131K with over 9K dead including over 75 Guyanese. A glimmer of hope is that people are recovering from the virus; NYC recorded over 18K and many who had the disease and not tested also recovered. The latter have not been counted in official numbers as are several Guyanese who died from the disease but are not listed as victims.

Beyond the numbers, there are names of so many who lost their loved ones; some are well known, prominent among the closely knit Guyanese in Queens. Each victim has a story of how he or she became a victim of this terrible pandemic. The virus ran rampant on the elderly and the sick, many of whom were already weakened by other ailments like high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, and other ailments.

So many in the community are hospitalized as serious cases with others stricken at home with moderate symptoms.

Many Guyanese victims are also care workers at medical centers and home care attendants; many lack adequate basic protective equipment including masks.

The frontline soldiers in this battle against an unseen enemy are the medical staff, the doctors and nurses, assistants, auxiliary staff, cleaning staff, and

Does Justin Nedd/GTT think the Guyanese people are fools?

DEAR EDITOR, Recently, Justin Nedd CEO of GTT announced that the staff of GTT will be receiving pay cuts as a result of COVID-19 in Guyana starting at the Executive level. But behold! GTT has hired a new Sales Lead for their Business Solutions Department. He was stolen from Digicel Guyana. If you’re cutting on expenses, does this make s e n s e ? D o e s M r. N e d d really take the Guyanese people, more so, his hard working long standing staff for fools?

GTT is receiving full

payments from all of their customers; both residential and businesses (ExxonMobil, GYSBI, and all other O&G companies, etc.) Does Mr. Nedd really take the Guyanese people for fools?

Please Mr. Nedd, you can’t cut the salaries of staff while still receiving full payments from your customers. Please have a heart.

Yog Mahadeo had the

decency to step down after he was advised of a “lapse of internal control” that occured on his watch. Do the right thing, Sir! Yours sincerely, Concerned Guyanese

pharmacists.

One cannot leave out truck drivers and supermarket staff and those who deliver food to homes. And the police who try to keep the streets and homes safe from preying criminals and crooks disguised as helpers.

Regrettably, some frontline soldiers fell victim to this pandemic. Medical staff and workers at shops, including Guyanese, were/are diagnosed with the virus.

Some died while others are recovering. More Guyanese victims are expected because of lack of social distancing at home; the number of casualties will grow.

The high human cost of the pandemic is being partly attributed to the slow response by the federal, state, and local authorities. There are criticisms on the slow response as well as on low investment on health. New York was slow to implement lockdown measures.

The US, as indeed many other countries, did not invest significantly over the last two decades on improvement of public health, partly due to the financial crisis. Initially, the US did not take the pandemic seriously as it was in distant China and Europe and these countries had suffered pandemics before without much effect on the US. The US also provided

help to other countries in January and February in the globalized world. And so when stricken, the US was initially handicapped by inadequate virus testing kits, not enough hospital beds for Intensive Care treatment, and shortage of gowns (the PPEs) and masks.

Oxygen ventilators were also in short supply.

There were stories of just a week ago emerging of doctors playing God of having to choose who gets a test and the full treatment and who were left out given the lack of equipment and shortage of beds. Those who had slim chance of survival were ignored in favor of those who have a better chance.

The older folks were neglected in favor of younger folks.

Some died in the corridors of hospitals.

Now, America seems better equipped and supplies are pouring in as doctors are attending to everyone; virtually no one is denied a ventilator in NYC. The federal government has promised to help meet the costs of the health crisis that has been leveling off. But NYC and the Guyanese community seem far from safe; it may take another month to get a handle of the crisis.

Yours Truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

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Monday April 20, 2020

Kaieteur News

Let us resort to adopting the final report DEAR EDITOR, The Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has finally made her electronically communicated decision for a recount of the March 2, 2020 declared election results using no more than 10 workstations. However, a starting date for the proposed recount was not yet provided.

As suspected and anticipated, the PPP and its aligned and allied cronies have started griping.

Once again, while I hold no esteemed position, affiliation or legal accolade, it is strongly opined that our pursuit of this type of preemptive approach to an election petition contravenes our laws. We will pardon our leaders for acknowledging that this proposal was an obvious oversight on their part, and that we should resort to what governs the electoral process.

However, to continue with this chaotic experiment may lead us into the deepest regret to face this land.

With the new wave of opposition to the GECOM Chair’s recount decision, it is clearer to see that there will never be consensus on anything that is not the pure dictates of the PPP.

The Chair may now adopt the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)’s final report for the March 2, 2020 declared election results, since all efforts to resolve the impasse in a fair and unbiased manner have failed. GECOM has a fundamental role and responsibility. GECOM’s final task has been held in abeyance by the Chair. The Chair should have no obligation to any political party or leader. The Chair should NOT allow her function to be influenced nor compromised by opinion, personal or private deliberations of any contesting political party or parties. The Chair is our umpire, and although reviews are helpful, that Chair must act in a ‘Fit and Proper’ manner that reflects the desires of those who crafted our electoral laws. The Chair should act within her constitutional mandate on what is before her – that final report.

An election petition should be the way to go if the elections, which were deemed free and fair up to the point of declarations, are sighted as having controversial results.

We should be cognizant that those who are constantly crying ‘wolf’ seem to be the most recalcitrant and guilty of the very things they gripe about.

A few days after the General

Elections (GE), the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Republican Party (PRP) – A professed God-fearing Party, made a startling confession. Rev. Pastor Phyllis Jordan confessed before the Lord and the Guyanese nation that a leading political party had furnished the PRP with a spreadsheet of the GE results that conflicted with those of original Statements of Poll (SOPs) from her party’s agents. It is widely suspected that the PRP was supplied with those conflicting totals from the PPP, since the APNU/AFC denied doing so.

Madam Jordan’s confession was a timely revelation that exposed the PPP’s crude account of results, which varied from those that supported GECOM’s official declarations obtained from original SOPs. If intelligence received after the close of polls on March 2, 2020 are anything to go by, spreadsheet results similar to those given to the PRP were also supplied to the plethora of other small parties that contested ‘in only some regions’ of the GE, and persons associated with leading foreign Heads of Mission stationed in Guyana.

There have been numerous complaints, allegations and reports that the PPP and their

Clarification Sought DEAR EDITOR, Please permit me in the interest of transparency to solicit clarification from the Honorable High Commissioner of Canada with respect to a post she made onApr. 18 on her Twitter feed with respect to repatriation of Canadian citizens in Guyana returning to their homeland.

Obviously elated at the success of the mission, she in an expression of gratitude, thanked West Jet, Government of Guyana, CJIA staff, and made mention of being joined by “Minister” David Patterson. In seeking clarifications to ascertain if her mention of a “government and minister” is in her personal or official capacity? To assist I lay bare facts that might inform her response.

As per Wikipedia , a government consist in this specific order of a Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Currently Guyana’s legislature stands in dissolution, so in my informed opinion this constitutes a dissolution of government since the

Executive does not have the benefit of the confidence of a legislature. Guyana’s governance structure is a ‘parliamentary democracy’ as such a dissolution of parliament, renders all ministers and sitting members non functional.

Like Canada, Guyana’s constitution remains the supreme law of the land and sacrosanct, as such it would be very helpful if the Honorable High Commissioner can offer an explanation to bring into context her position and by extension her government’s position on how it views the incumbent party “arbitrary self imposition in the seat of government.” One can only speculate as to the inference by her mention of a “Government of Guyana and a minister.”

What constitutional provisions are we overlooking, that legitimizes an illegality?

We still remain a nation waiting to “exhale”.

Regards, Hemdutt Kumar

We have been placed in perilous...

From page 4 diplomats. In 2019, senior officials in leading Chinese oil companies recently visited Guyana for a series of highlevel meetings including a three-hour one-on-one meeting with a top official.

There are reports to the effect that a relative of another official has emerged as the de facto Minister of Oil and was involved in all talks and negotiations.

After the international condemnation of Mingo’s declaration, APNU/AFC elements took to social media platforms to denounce America and even posited that EXXON should sell its interest to a Chinese

company.

I believe key elements in Granger’s administration are colluding with China for protection of personal gains made through corrupt practice, the use of Bart Fisher who “has represented the Government of the People’s Republic of China (1999-2000) on international trade matters… and Fisher currently is Senior Advisor for the CITIC Group, which is the third-largest enterprise in China” is no coincidence.

Editor, after doing the due diligence on this ‘dossier’, I can see why David Granger was so eager to distance himself from the contents and to disavow knowledge of the

contents and the Lobbying firm of JJ&B LLC. If Granger had not made such a mockery of the Commission of Inquiry tool, this dossier and the China/Granger connection would certainly be grist for that mill.

Guyana’s sovereignty has been compromised clearly with the financing of the G77 team; will the special military relationship be exploited by the Chinese government as a ruse for testing American resolve in the region? We have been placed in perilous waters, mere minnows swimming among global sharks.

Respectfully Robin Singh

surrogates have systematically reproduced conflicting SOPs and summary of total votes, in their attempt to create doubt, confusion, and besmirch the official SOPs and final declarations for each administrative region by GECOM. It is therefore not surprising that the unified attack against GECOM flowed from all those who were provided with unofficial results from PPP manufactured spreadsheets.

GECOM is the only authorised body that can declare election results.

GECOM needs to be wary of the much-embraced postdeclaration recounting of votes, which although made in good faith and not expected to change the winner, has already seen signs of reneging by the main opposition from what was originally agreed upon. GECOM should seek to untangle itself from a well-orchestrated ploy by the PPP as it constantly keeps shifting the goal posts thereby creating deeper constitutional confusion.

Apart from the APNU/ AFC,

the PPP was the only other significant contestant of the March 2 General and Regional Elections; elections that were duly won by the APNU/AFC Coalition based on declared results.

It is understood that the Chairperson of GECOM may be operating under intense duress, as there have been a barrage of threats from the gang of PPPaligned entities and foreign delegations here. The insinuation that international sanctions may be forthcoming against individuals, and the Guyanese nation as a whole, if GECOM adopts the officially declared results is a direct usurpation and attempt to destabilise a legitimate government.

GECOM ought not to be coerced nor intimidated by innuendos, but recognise the rights of the majority of Guyanese who evidently voted to re-elect the APNU/ AFC government based on the officially declared results.

More disastrous may be the outcome should GECOM not to do so by allowing itself to be hoodwinked by those who

seek to undermine the integrity of that august body and our electoral processes.

GECOM must comply with all legal provisions, which are pellucid under the Representation of the People’s Act. Our laws unequivocal regarding challenges to declared election results by aggrieved parties – Laws of Guyana, Cap. 1:03 Sec 61 (2)(b) b. There is also precedence by which GECOM may be guided, exemplified by the December 1997 GE election petition. Those laws must be respected and upheld by GECOM since vitiating already declared results is a premise of illegality and may lead to a total breakdown of law and order.

If the threat of international sanctions is to be activated because we followed our electoral laws, we will be vindicated for saving Guyana from far greater internal disaster in years to come!

Yours faithfully, Orette Cutting

Put the interest of the country ahead of partisan interest DEAR EDITOR, The PNC, now subsumed under the APNU-AFC umbrella would be making a monumental mistake if it feels it could get away with a rigged election as it did in the past.

For one thing, the global political-ideological environment is not quite the same. The Cold War, for all practical purposes, is now over. The East-West divide has given way to a new era of global relationships in which economic diplomacy takes precedence over ideological considerations. There is no longer a World Socialist System headed by the USSR and a World Capitalist System led by the United States of America. The United States and the former USSR no longer compete with each other for ‘spheres of influence’ as during the Cold War period. The PNC is today not seen by the West as ‘the lesser of the two evils’.

It is in the above context that any attempt by the APNU-AFC to play off one ‘superpower’ with another which Forbes Burnham successfully did in the 1970’s and the early 1980’s is disingenious and will not succeed in today’s new and changing global dispensation. The foreign policy of the United States and other western powers are dictated more by economic diplomacy and democratic norms rather than by any perceived ‘ideological’

allegiance.

This explains why the United States and other western nations are taking a strong and uncompromising position on the issue of democratic elections in Guyana. There is a discernible shift in US foreign policy to one of open support for free, fair and transparent elections.

As the US Ambassador Sarah Lynch correctly pointed out, the United States does not have a preference for any political party forming the next government provided that the new government is sworn in on the basis of free, fair, credible and transparent elections.

Any attempt to hold on to power by undemocratic means as the APNU-AFC is attempting to do is fraught with dangerous consequences including sanctions both at an individual level and at the level of the country as a whole.

Desmond Hoyte, to his credit, understood the dire consequences of rigged elections in October 1992 and conceded defeat. That remains a legacy for which he will be credited down the corridors of time. He realised that his Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) which he embarked upon in the late 1980’s stood little chance of suceeding if he were to hang on to power by undemocratic means.

President David Granger

can do likewise in the face of incontrovertible evidence that his Coalition has lost the March 2 elections. He, like Desmond Hoyte, could go down as a political leader and Statesman who is prepared to put the interest of the country ahead of partisan interest.

As the Organization of American States (OAS) observed, the situation is salvageable. The recounting process, if done in a fair and transparent manner, could change the political narrative and image of Guyana in positive ways. Moreover, it could make way for a new governance dispensation in which the fears and insecurities inherent in our diversity could be addressed by way of constitutional reforms and shared governance. It is an acknowledged fact that the APNU+AFC alliance has the support of a large political and ethnic constituency. As such, it simply cannot be pushed into the political backwater and should be given an integral role in the governance processes.

This however, must be premised on a democratic framework in which the governance aspirations of the Guyanese electorate by way of free and fair elections must be respected and which must become the foundational principles of any future powersharing arrangement.

Hydar Ally

Monday April 20, 2020

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

PPP asks GECOM Chair to clarify lingering recount issues The Opposition’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has written to the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, calling on her to offer clarification on the lingering issues surrounding the recount of ballots from the March 2, 2020 polls.

In the three-page letter compiled by party executive Anil Nandlall, the Opposition Leader pointed out that key elements were notably absent from the email circulated to the GECOM Commissioners on Friday last that was supposed to outline certain modalities of the recount.

“Your email, based upon your own assurances, was supposed to advise on fundamental procedural and substantive issues regarding how the recount is to proceed,” Nandlall highlighted.

However, this was not done.

In her email, the Chair after deliberating on the three proposals received by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, Opposition Commissioners and Commissioner Vincent Alexander; announced that “no more than 10 work stations” would be used for the recount.

This, she said would be “subject to the availability of the requisite equipment and technology to display the ballots.”

Further, the Chair also decided that each work station tabulate its own results and that the work stations will be situated

- insist on live streaming; exclusion of tainted elements in process

Opposition Leader: Bharrat Jagdeo inside of the Arthur Chung Convention Centre for security reasons.

All these decisions, Singh said, were made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirements of social distancing.

Her email on the decisions left more questions than answers as an anxious nation awaits definitive word on the precise number of counting stations to be used, daily working hours for the recount, the duration and start date for the recount, among other pressing factors.

“It was expected to advise on crucial issues such as the timeframe of the exercise. The international observers, including the CARICOM high-level team, may not be willing to participate in a process that is open-ended in the current public health climate. You have also given no guidance on the issue of transparency, which is so vital to the

integrity of the process,” he said.

LIVE STREAMED RECOUNT The Opposition along with other smaller parties and international observers had issued calls for the recount to be televised to ensure transparency.

Even the CARICOM Heads proposed that the recount be televised permitting the process to be scrutinized by observers who will not be able to enter the country due to the restrictions in light of COVID19.

This was also to be decided upon by the GECOM Chair. However, she gave no indication whether this would be done.

In the letter, Nandlall reiterated the PPP’s calls for the recount to be live streamed, citing that “telecasting or live streaming of the process in its entirety will enhance the transparency of the process to a great extent.”

This factor will have to be taken into consideration after Head of COVID-19 Task Force, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, announced that international election observers will be subjected to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period upon entry into Guyana.

EXCLUSION OF “TAINTED ELEMENTS” According to Nandlall, GECOM is constitutionally endowed, to exclude “politically toxic and tainted elements within the Secretariat” from the recount

Wisroc’s visually-impaired man identified as latest COVID-19 victim Guyana‘s latest victim of the Covid-19 has been identified Sydney Trellis called ‘Jacket’, a 49-year-old visually-impaired man from the Government Housing Scheme in Wismar, Region 10.

Trellis is recorded as the nation’s 7th Coronavirus fatality.

He passed away on Saturday night in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital, after about two weeks of undergoing treatment.

On April 8 last, a release from the Region Ten Regional Democratic Council (RDC) stated that a patient, now identified as Trellis, was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex after he exhibited symptoms of the virus.

The RDC said that health officials confirmed that Trellis was transferred to Georgetown Hospital for a higher level of care, after he tested positive for

Guyana’s latest COVID-19 victim: Sydney Trellis COVID -19.

The RDC, in the statement, noted that the visually impaired man has accommodated overseas guests at his home prior to falling ill.

The RDC said it is suspected that the patient

may have contracted the virus from his overseas guests, since he had not left his home prior to falling ill.

Trellis’s death is recorded more than a week after the passing of 77-year-old Colonel John Lewis.

Lewis, a former head of the Guyana People’s Militia, prominent engineer, and sports enthusiast also passed away at the ICU of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The engineer had reportedly lost his wife to pneumonia-related complications last March.

Lewis would have worked over the years in a number of areas, including at the stateowned water company. The engineer had been assigned recently to the Sheriff Street/ Mandela Avenue expansion project.

It was late last week that the country’s first fatality, 52year-old Ratna Baboolall, was cremated…more than a month after her death.

process and replace them with “credible persons, drawn from apolitical organizations.”

Over the past weeks, international observers and the party have expressed their concern with such elements being involved in the recount process and called for them to be removed. This was also

a decision to be made by the Chair, but was not done.

Nandlall accused the Chair of “being inclined” to drive the recount “using these tainted Officers of the Secretariat.”

“Unfortunately, in the face of the lack of credibility which afflicts certain identified staff of the

Secretariat as expressed in statements emanating from almost every accredited internationally observer mission, their local counterparts and the contesting political parties, other than the APNU+AFC, you seem inclined to persist with using these tainted Continued on page 17

PAGE 8

EUREKA TO DO ITS FIRST COVID-19 TEST TOMORROW

After weeks of planning, Eureka Medical Laboratory (EML) has disclosed that it will be doing its first COVID19 test tomorrow.

Confirming this with Kaieteur News yesterday was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EML, Andrew Boyle. Boyle noted that testing will be done in the company’s COVID-19 safe collection booth that was recently constructed.

The microbiologist said the service is available to anyone who is showing symptoms. He noted that appointments must be made for this to be done.

In this regard, the EML Director said that the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT) has graciously allowed the use of three toll free numbers.

They are 624(TEST), 620(TEST) and 640(TEST).

Kaieteur News understands that the test being done at EML’s Lot 263 Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg location is the Covid-19 test by Real time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) with the results in a matter of days.

With respect to data collection, Boyle told this

Monday April 20, 2020

Kaieteur News

publication that the necessary information such as detailed description of symptoms, date of birth, etc would be taken from persons before their appointment and the results, whether positive or negative, would be sent to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud.

“We will take the information we collect prior to the visit, along with the results of the test and send those to the Chief Medical Officer. It is a confidential arrangement we have in place and once that has been handed over, they would take it from there.”

While he is not working alongside the Ministry of Public Health on the COVID19 response efforts at a national level, Boyle said he is hopeful this can happen in the future.

In the meantime, he will continue to play his part.

The microbiologist was keen to note that no effort is being spared to ensure all measures are in place to protect staff members from becoming infected while adding that EML’s latest COVID-19 collection booth will be sanitized after use by every patient.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EML, Andrew Boyle shows the company’s latest COVID-19 safe collection booth.

GECOM has power to craft recount protocol ...no need for COVID-19 task force – Nandlall Attorney-at-law and executive of the People’s Progressive Party, Anil Nandlall, is resolute in his stance that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) holds the independence to govern its own operations even in the midst of a public health crisis.

Nandlall was at the time addressing concerns over the involvement of the national COVID -19 Taskforce in GECOM‘s impending recount of votes cast at the national elections held on March 2, 2020.

In an impassioned statement via his personal blog, The Unruly Horse, Nandlall, a former Attorney General of Guyana, expressed apprehension at the proposal of the Task Force, which is headed by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo.

He noted that the restrictive guidelines recommended by Nagamootoo will only serve as part of the tactic by the current regime to further delay the process.

Nandlall explained that he had written to the

PPP Executive, Anil Nandlall Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh warning her against “ceding a large part of her responsibility in the exercise to some anomalous Task Force established by the Prime Minister.”

The lawyer said that his respectful admonishment was in keeping with the view that GECOM remains, exclusively, in charge of the Continued on page 17

Monday April 20, 2020

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

More than 300 Guyanese may die from the coronavirus Last week, two bandits robbed a cellular phone store on Regent Street. During the robbery, one of the robbers went inside and the other stayed outside. The one inside advised customers to wear masks to prevent the coronavirus. The bandits took away cell phones, electronic tablets and colognes.

Most persons have said that even the bandits are conscious about the coronavirus threat. No one, however, has questioned why is this store, providing non-essential services, was open for business during the lockdown.

Guyana is now into its second week of a partial lockdown. The authorities are warning that stronger measures may have to be put in place to ensure the enforcement of the restrictions – this being two weeks after the fact.

The authorities do not understand exponential

growth. It is exponential growth which explains how the United States of America recorded its first coronavirus case on January 20th and its first coronavirus-related death only on February 28 but that, ever since, the virus has spread like a wildfire in that country, but primarily in New York and New Jersey. These two states account for about 40% of the total confirmed cases and more than half of total deaths.

Within six weeks, the number of confirmed cases in the United States has reached (as of noon yesterday) 740,928 – almost the same as Guyana’s population. Thirtynine thousand persons have died thus far in the USA, and the bad news is that the virus has not yet peaked in that country, despite more than 90% of the population, in 45 states, being at home.

In Italy, 23,000 persons have died and in Spain, where it appears the virus is now peaking, 23,227 persons have

died as at noon yesterday. In the United Kingdom, 16,000 persons have died, most of whom perished during the past three weeks.

Globally 162,005 persons have died as a result of the virus. This is more than the population of Georgetown.

And more than 2.3 million persons have so far been confirmed as having the virus. Many more will die before this is over.

The coronavirus is deadly and highly contagious. But it is exponential growth which explains its rapid spread in the USA and Europe. When, therefore, the authorities in Guyana speak about strengthening enforcement of the restrictions, one has to question whether they understand exponential growth, and whether they realise what is happening around the world.

When other countries speak about deaths peaking, they are not speaking about a oneor two-day

Dem Boys Seh

Fraudette slip and jewels showing Dem boys ain’t know just what kind of games Fraudette playing.

But by the time she dun play she cards, the whole country gon pull out dem hair from dem head. Even those with bald head and wig gon pull out something.

Fraudette becoming overbearing. Dem boys ain’t know whether fuh get irritated, agitated, annoyed, frustrated or fed-up.

She pussy-footing. With Fraudette, the mo things’ change, the mo it remain the same.

The fuss mistake Fraudette mek was fuh guh vote on election marnin.

Dem boys seh de minute she tek a stance, she slip start to show. It show she colours.

Is it coincidence dat she was locked in her office, practising social distancing while

Mingo playing acrobat with the results?

Is it coincidence when all the mischief doing, she nah intervene to stap it? Was it coincidence that when the CARICOM team come fuh oversee the recount, dat GECOM suddenly want read de court decision?

Oh, come on Fraudette, dem boys seh is not only the slip showing, de whole crown jewels expose and de whole world is watching it and it ain’t a good taste.

Fraudette get a chance to redeem she self.

But it looks like she din have much to redeem.

Look how much days pass and still she can’t get things going. Like is only two speeds she know: slow and dead stop.

Talk half and remember old people seh: “Moon a run till day catch am”.

phenomenon. Peaking can go on for more than two weeks, and then the number of deaths come down gradually, not rapidly, over another few weeks. The peak and postpeak periods, which can run as long as a month, are therefore the deadliest.

Guyana’s coronavirus curves are outliers; coronavirus deaths in Guyana are already high relative to the country’s population and total number of confirmed cases. The average age of those dying, locally, is far below the average of the dead in other countries. Younger people are dying here. Unless, we put a lid on things, Guyana can find itself in the same position as Spain, where more than 417 persons per every one million of the population have died.

At that rate, more than 300 Guyanese stand to die before this pandemic is over.

The country is heading into a perfect storm. Its health systems and mortuaries are going to be overwhelmed when the coronavirus peaks locally. And only then will

people realise the mistake which was made when the government played politics with the lockdown. Only then, they will rue the public’s slackness during the lockdown.

Two weeks into Guyana’s partial lockdown, you can still find some electronic, hardware and haberdashery stores open for business.

Many lumber yards are still open for business. People are still going into the markets without masks in violation of the restrictions.

The government has been lax about enforcing the regulations.

The government should implement the existing laws dealing with the opening and closing hours of businesses.

Shops, stores, markets and supermarkets, providing essential services should be open only between the hours of 8am to 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays and Saturdays should be halfdays, and no shops or stores or markets and supermarkets should be open on Sundays

period.

You do not tighten enforcement two weeks into a lockdown. You tighten it from the start, and then after the virus peaks, you gradually slacken the restrictions. Spain is still having hundreds of deaths on average each day, but they are past their peak and have begun to ease restrictions.

They are allowing children to now come out from their homes. Here in Guyana, children can be seen gallivanting all over the place during the lockdown.

“When you don’t hear, you does feel”. And Guyanese are not going to like the suffering and losses which will result from the mishandling of this pandemic.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

PAGE 10

Monday April 20, 2020

Kaieteur News

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Let’s start a fund for Guyanese healthcare workers HHhundreds of doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel have died since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. These are people who gave their lives to save others. They answered the call of duty and in fulfilling that sacred task, they paid the ultimate price.

They left loved ones behind, some of whom are children whose future will have to be provided for.

Billions of us sit in our homes, protecting ourselves from infection from COVID19, while these brave souls have no choice. They have to go to work at hospitals, where one is likely to be infected. They have to tend to the sick. Guyana, though poor, has managed well in terms of no deluge, but in many other countries advanced, industrialised nations - there is a shortage of protective gears because of a deluge of victims.

In fact, a shipment of such material to Jamaica by a company in the US has been stopped because the American government needs it. A shipment was held up by the US Government for Bermuda, but was later released. The UK has a shortage of gowns and has ordered 400,000 of them from Turkey, along with kits and other materials.

The Guardian of the UK has the photos of a number of doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel who have died. The Guardian wrote that the 77 deaths of health care workers that the newspaper found in the UK may be far more.

In rich countries struck by the pandemic, the economy may be able to come to the assistance of heath care workers. For example, the US churned out two trillion dollars to assist its citizens and a huge part of that has

gone to medical people. In Guyana, we have not been ravished, and one hopes that day will never come. It probably will never come, because the virus appears to be tapering off.

Also, it appears that the effects of the weather on the virus in tropical countries like Guyana, make it less likely that we will suffer the horrific devastation we have seen in many colder climates.

But there is a gargantuan but. I do believe we can suffer hundreds of deaths, maybe thousands, if we do not bring the election impasse to an end. This election crisis can fuel serious amounts of deaths by the fact that it allows for large numbers of people to interact with each other. I dealt with that in my column of Thursday, April 16, 2020 captioned, “The election conspirators are going to make thousands die from COVID-19.”

While we are in the throes of this pandemic in Guyana, I am proposing generous donations to our heathcare workers.

Georgetown Hospital doctors are not upper middle-class people.

Guyana’s nurses and lab technicians are traditionally from the working class stratum. And of course, the porters (large numbers of whom have died in other countries) are poor souls.

In this time of unprecedented terror from the unknown, let us open our hearts to all of the employees of state medical institutions whose lives are at risk as I type this column. I am urging for some kind of fund to be set up ASAP. From my meagre resources, I will donate $10,000.

There are billionaires in this country. If struck with the virus, they cannot leave; the world’s airports are closed.

Surely, they can pinch a few millions from their billions to

help our healthcare workers.

Nurses, porters and lab technicians, in this climate of impending death, should not be allowed to jump on a crowded bus to go to work.

We should provide special transportation for them. This is where our donations matter.

In the US, some of the biggest names in entertainment have done a virtual concert titled “One World: Together at Home” which has raised $128M to help health workers. We in poor countries like Guyana may not have those kinds of resources, but whatever little we can contribute, let’s do it.

A million dollars, three million, ten million will go a long way in protecting those whose lives are on the line right at this moment.

I don’t think there has ever been a situation in Guyana, in our entire history, where our health workers have been so exposed to dying from a pandemic. Once

Frederick Kissoon more, I call on every human in this country and all Guyanese wherever they are, let us donate money and resources to our healthcare workers.

I end with a quote from one of philosophy’s greatest minds, Immanuel Kant: “So act as to treat humanity, whether in thine own person or in that of any other, in every case as an end withal, never as a means only.”

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Pregnant mother who kills husband Bandits attack Nurney wants help with bail money Thirty-two-year-old, Sandra Brescenio, a pregnant mother of four, is seeking help from the public to post her bail after she appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates Court for the death of her reputed husband.

Brescenio appeared before Magistrate Dylon Best on Friday and was not required to enter a plea to the indictable offence.

The charge said that on April 12, 2020 at Canabali, Barima/ Waini River, North West District, Brescenio stabbed and killed her reputed husband, Clarence Williams.

Kaieteur News had reported that on the day in question, the couple was involved in an argument that later turned bloody.

It was said that the victim, 35-year-old Clarence Williams, a miner was stabbed to death, reportedly by his reputed wife, whom police said choked and threatened to push her head into a fire. Kaieteur News was informed that Williams was under the influence of alcohol when he made the threats.

It was reported that prior to the stabbing,

the victim dragged his 32-year-old reputed wife, out of church to prepare a meal for him.

It was while preparing his meal that things turned sour. According to a police report, the suspect was cleaning fish with a knife and Williams reportedly threatened to push her head into the fire.

An argument ensued between the two and Williams was said to have choked the woman.

Reports are that the woman became “annoyed” that she was being choked and used the knife to stab Williams twice in the region of his groin. He was later found motionless in his bed.

The accused was initially granted bail in the sum of $350,000 but this was reduced to $300,000 after Brescenio who was unrepresented told the court that she is five months pregnant with no one to care her children. The matter was adjourned until July 7.

The woman explained that she is unable to post her hefty bail and is seeking assistance from the public.

cash crop farmers

Mandakie and Narinedat Chandan’s home at the back.

The police are currently investigating an armed robbery committed on Mandakie Chandan, 64, a housewife of Lot 7 Public Road, Nurney Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Reports are that the incident took place sometime around 1:25 am Friday night, a few hours before another home in Alness was attacked by armed men.

This publication understands that four men, armed with cutlasses and a handgun, entered the property that has two houses in the lot.

The victim, who lives with her husband, Narinedat Chandan, 72, a cash crop farmer, told police that they would normally sell vegetables three times

weekly.

She was in her yard preparing to venture off to the Port Mourant Market when she was pounced on by the four masked men.

They demanded cash but she told them she hadn’t any money. One of the men grabbed her by her hair and placed a cutlass to her neck and ordered her to walk into her home.

She then told the men her husband’s pension money was under her bed. The men took the pension along with a finger ring, which she had on. Two cellphones were also taken from a table in the house.

At that point, another bandit took her husband outside in the yard and walked him over to the other

house on the lot and the bandit reportedly told him to call at the door and ask them to borrow some money. It was a ruse to get the occupants to open the door.

However, an alarm was raised by the occupants who suspected something was amiss.

The bandit then ran back to Chandan’s home with her husband.

One of them slammed her head into the concrete wall of the house before escaping.

Chandan was taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital where she was seen by a doctor on duty who treated and sent her away.

Two cellphones valued at $10,000; two finger rings worth $40,000 and $70,000 in cash were taken.

Monday April 20, 2020

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Kaieteur News

More marijuana farms destroyed

Bag of ganja found in car at checkpoint…

Wife drives away with children; leaves husband in the sauce

On the run: Rokeisha Collins What was found during the raids last week.

As the police continue their quest to go after ganja farms, ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Wednesday destroyed more than 50 kilograms of processed cannabis during two eradication exercises conducted at Gateroy and Bartica villages. Also destroyed were several acres of cannabis cultivation along with makeshift tents.

In addition to the 50 kilograms of cannabis found, there were approximately 18,000 plants between one foot and six feet in height that were destroyed.

In total, the operation lasted for more than 10 hours and was commanded by a Gazetted Officer.

During the operations, no arrests were made.

Tipoff leads cops to ganja, coke find in minibus at Mabura On Saturday, about 09:00hrs, police acting on intelligence gathered, intercepted a minibus at Mabura, Upper Demerara River where a search was conducted.

The police ranks found 89 grams of cocaine and 6,818 grams of cannabis.

According to the police, two persons inclusive of the driver are in custody pending charges.

Meanwhile, Berbice cops said that they too acted on information and stopped a car on the # 59 Village Road , Corentyne, about 14:30hrs.

“A search of the vehicle revealed fifteen parcels of suspected cannabis which when weighed amounted to 13,607 grams.”

The driver, a 40-year-old resident of New Amsterdam, Berbice who was the lone occupant , is in custody pending charges.

The seized ganja that was found in a car at Corentyne, Berbice on Saturday.

Blows for fishermen as C’tyne River restrictions...

From page 14 finding lucrative markets to sell their catch.

In fact, it appears that vendors are not even finding the money to buy the fish.

“The consumers now are buying for a cheaper price from us. For example, snapper use to sell for $425 per pound and now it is $350 a pound.

For the trout, we use to get $200 to $220 a pound, now we selling it for $160 a pound taking into consideration that less fishermen are working so it is really taking a toll on us.”

In the past, the fishing industry was overwhelmed with piracy attacks but this is an entirely new scenario that may batter the industry with

no indications of how it will recover.

“It’s very frustrating. We as owners are also crying out and then when the workers come for assistance, we can’t even assist them as we would like because we have our own families to take care of. We don’t know how long this will last.”

He noted that he has three fishing vessels but only one is working presently because there aren’t workers for the other two.

As if the restrictions are not enough, Jainarine disclosed that the exportation of fish has dropped drastically as well with less exporters buying.

Normally, there are several exporters buying fish to take to the United States and Jamaica.

It has dwindled down to one exporter from Georgetown buying.

He said that, “the industry has been neglected for a long time”.

“We don’t know who to turn to or who to ask or anything. We does have to fend for ourselves. Even in instances of piracy when you lose your expenses or property, nobody assist to get it back. There has been no sort of financial assistance from government.”

According to the official, the Co-op has only been able

to assist with soft loansprovide fuel for the boats at the cost of the Co-op. Vessels are sent out with fishermen and whatever is sold they are given the opportunity to repay in parts for the fuel.

Jainarine added that the only positive thus far has been the drop in price for fuel.

“That has assisted a lot because we use a lot of fuel.

A barrel of gas use to cost $60,000…now it come down to around $33,000.”

Jainarine believes that the fishing industry isn’t prepared for such a crisis with burning questions of what next.

They are appealing for assistance.

Arrested: Ex-cop, Kushyal Grant An ex-policemen, his wife and two of their children who were heading in the direction of Georgetown in a silvercoloured Toyota Vitz, PSS 1868, were busted with cannabis at the Berbice Bridge police checkpoint yesterday morning.

Kushyal Grant, 28, an expolice constable was arrested while his wife, Rokeisha Collins, 34, a food vendor, has since escaped with her two children. She has gone into hiding.

According to reports, sometime around 10:50 hrs, ranks working at the checkpoint, stopped the car which was heading towards the Berbice Bridge.

There were four occupants seated in the car with Grant as the driver and Collins in the front passenger seat… the two children were in the back seat. A search was subsequently conducted for ammunition and narcotics.

A “salt bag” was

discovered in the back passenger seat.

The ranks opened the bag in the presence of the family and found seven bulky parcels wrapped with transparent plastic. It contained portions of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be ganja.

Upon this discovery, Collins reportedly ran and jumped into the car and drove away with her children.

The ranks placed Grant under arrest. He denied knowledge of the suspected cannabis and was then escorted to Central Police Station along with the white salt bag containing the suspected ganja. The parcels were weighed in Grant’s presence. It amounted to nine kilos.

Meanwhile, checks were made at Grant’s and Collin’s home at Sheet Anchor Village, East Canje, Berbice and the car was found parked in front the premises.

However, Grant and her children were nowhere to be found.

LBI men nabbed with unlicensed revolver in bag

The seized revolver.

Police ranks conducting a mobile patrol on Friday about 21:45 hours in Onion Field, La Bonne Intention , East Coast Demerara, observed the “suspicious” behaviour of two males on a motorcycle.

According to the police, as the patrol approached, one of them quickly dropped a bag on the road.

The men were promptly detained and a search of the bag revealed an unlicensed .38 revolver with two live matching rounds. The suspects, both residing in the same community, are in custody pending charges.

PAGE 16

Monday April 20, 2020

Kaieteur News

Ithaca killer had threatened reputed wife before - woman was stabbed over 15 times

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Dead: Vanessa Benjamin The man who brutally stabbed his reputed wife after she had ended the relationship had threatened to kill her before.

The life of Vanessa Benjamin, 21, a cleaner of Lot 301 Ithaca, West Bank Berbice, ended tragically on Thursday evening after she was brutally stabbed more than 15 times by her estranged reputed husband, Jamal Angus, 24.

The woman, a mother of two- a three-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter, was employed as a cleaner at the Ithaca Day Care Centre.

The incident occurred about 17:20 hrs at the woman’s home.

Reports are that the accused was living with the deceased and her mother

Attacked also: Injured mom, Debra Hannibal Debra Hannibal, age 56, unemployed, and their two children at the address.

After constant fights and disagreement and years of abuse, the accused who hails from No. 30 Village, West Coast Berbice, was asked to leave the home a few weeks

Suspected: Jamal Angus ago.

He, however, continued to stalk the woman, begging her to take him back and even issuing treats.

On the day in question, he visited and an argument ensued as the woman continued to spurn his advances.

He then whipped out a knife that he had concealed and attacked Benjamin who was in her yard and stabbed her multiple times about her body.

The enraged man also injured Debra Hannibal, stabbing her about her body as she tried to intervene to assist her daughter.

He then reportedly turned the weapon upon himself and plunged the knife into the left side of his chest in an

apparent attempt to commit suicide.

Benjamin was found lying in a trench while her mother and the accused were found in the yard.

They were taken to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where Benjamin was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her mother and the suspect were transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

Hannibal has since regained consciousness and remain warded in the hospital.

The suspect remains in hospital where he is receiving medical attention under police guard. The children are staying by relatives in the village.

Investigations are continuing.

City repeats warnings of protection measures Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, has reiterated his call to shoppers to heed the guidelines on social distancing as part of the COVID-19 fight.

In a Zoom interview with DPI, Mayor Narine disclosed that it has been noted that shoppers at the Stabroek and Bourda markets continue to show disregard for the advisories on physical distancing that require persons to remain no less than 6-feet apart while in public spaces.

“This fight here is not only Government’s fight, it is not only a city-level fight […] We need to defeat COVID-19 together,” Mayor Narine cautioned.

The Georgetown Mayor reminded that the emergency measures and advisories were instituted to safeguard public health and failure to do so would complicate efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Mayor, however,

Mayor of Georgetown: Pandit Ubraj Narine commended the vendors for complying with the regulations of the Mayor and City Council in addition to the gazetted emergency measures.

Vendors, stallholders and caravan operators are observing a number of measures.

These include produce being stored six inches above the ground; all meats being sold must be packaged and not left in the open; frequently touched surfaces must be regularly sanitised

City Mayor, Ubraj Narine, is urging for shoppers and vendors alike to ensure that they wear protection. with bleach and water solutions and wearing of facemasks is mandatory to maintain their safety and that of patrons.

The city is also calling for social and physical distancing at stalls and caravans.

“Caravan operators are to ensure that a system is in place for customers to be able to sanitise. A sink equipped with potable water and soap must be available before they

access the goods. All municipal markets and street vending will operate between the hours from 7 am to 2 pm.” On April 3, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, instituted a wide range of emergency measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. Among the measures are restrictions on public gathering and the implementation of a 6pm-6am curfew.

Monday April 20, 2020

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Air Services explains hinterland flight prices Domestic operator, Air Services Limited (ASL) has refuted claims of hike in prices for flights to Regions 7 and 8.

This comes as a result of several reports in sections of the media and social platforms.

In a statement made by the operator, on its social media page, the company said: “There has been several reports circulating on social media and some sections of the media that all of the prices for ASL’s weekly scheduled regional flight services to Region 7 and 8 have increased, however, this is not true.”

The company explained that contrary to the reports, it has put measures in place to assist customers in those regions.

This includes waiving all passengers’ cancellation and date change fees and increased the allowable free baggage weight for all passengers traveling on the scheduled regional flights.

Some charters and shuttle prices have been substantially reduced, and the price per pound for freight on regional flights from Georgetown remains unchanged.

Also, during this time of crisis, ASL said it is providing free tickets for certified sick passengers who are in urgent need to travel to Georgetown for medical reasons.

The company expressed deep concerns over the recent press release by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as labeling some air operators as unscrupulous.

In fact, details were provided to the regulator recently.

According to ASL, such description has the potential to tarnish the credibility of businesses operating in the Aviation Sector.

As a result of the pandemic, ASL insisted that it is committed to continue safely operating sustainably.

According to a press release from the GCAA over the weekend, “the Government’s removal of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on domestic travel until June 30, 2020 and the significant reduction in fuel price should negate any increase in the cost of domestic air travel.”

Responding to this statement, ASL said, “Even though VAT was temporarily removed from all domestic air transport by GRA (Guyana

ASL’s Cessna 172

PPP asks GECOM Chair to...

From page 7 Officers of the Secretariat to drive the process.”

That factor was deemed “totally unacceptable” by the party and Nandlall cited that “they are much part of the problem and cannot feature in the solution.”

F u r t h e r, Nandlall pointed out that the Chair made no recommendations in relations to how the process would be effectively oversighted by the representatives of the political parties.

He said that the mere presence of party representatives is “insufficient.”

“They must be accorded the opportunity to effectively scrutinize the tabulating process and

inputting of the data, to ensure the correct total is arrived at in the end, in order to avoid what transpired in relation to the tabulation exercise previously done in respect of Region 4 results.”

The former Attorney General said that these concerns “will intensify” if the Chair insist on “using discredited staff of the Secretariat.”

Further, he requested that the GECOM Chair reexamine the proposal submitted by the party in light of the issues raised and urged her to implement the mentioned recommendations and also take special consideration of the recount provisions in the Representation of the People’s Act.

Revenue Authority) for the next three months, this has no impact on prices for the majority of hinterland communities because those locations were already exempted from VAT.” One good example the company used to illustrate its argument is that in Region 8,Karisparu, Orinduik, Itabac and Chiung- were affected by the GCAA Directive, which suspended passengers’ movement among other communities.

Those locations form as part of a strategic route air operators use in serving the region because they connect to many satellite villages.

Many of those areas were already VAT-exempted.

Mahdia, Kaieteur, Karisparu along with Itabac were recently added to the VAT exemption list, but amongst them only Mahdia and Kaieteur would benefit

from VAT exemption immediately.

“VAT remains in place for aviation fuel which accounts for a significant portion of operating costs; and on Aerial Agricultural Application service (crop dusting service) which the company’s sister company AG Air Inc provides to rice farmers.”

Also taking into consideration that fuel prices were reduced, ASL’s Captain Emil Jahan, a spokesman, explained to this publication that while “aviation fuel prices went down, what must be considered is that fuel suppliers had a large batch of high priced fuel in their stockpile prior to the slump in oil prices, and therefore, until that batch in the stockpile is run down and replenish with lower priced product, then only the benefits of low fuel prices will

GCAA DirectorGeneral, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, A.A

Captain Emil Jahan

impact ticket prices.”

He added that since the borders have been closed to scheduled international flights and there is an almost 30% drop in domestic air travel there is a drastic decrease in aviation fuel consumption in Guyana.

There is a high volume of aviation fuel in stockpile, which was sourced at high

prices in the system.

All of these factors and other market forces attached to operating at 50% aircraft capacity have caused ticket prices to temporarily go up on the regional flight services.

However, what one must consider is that some of the spike in prices are temporary and once things stabilize, prices will further go down.

GECOM has power to craft recount...

From page 8 process. In his blog, Nandall said his views are fortified by the crystal language of Article 226 (1) of the Constitution “…in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.”

“GECOM is one of the Commissions to which this Article applies. It is undisputed that the Constitution is the supreme law of Guyana,” Nandlall said.

He added that the doctrine of constitutional supremacy mandates that any law, by-laws,

regulations, guidelines or any decision or action made by any public authority, or any government or state agency which is inconsistent with and contrary to the Constitution, renders it unconstitutional, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.

“So, in so far as the task force purports to regulate the work of the Commission, it is unlawful and unconstitutional,” Nandlall held. The lawyer further pointed out that the Judiciary is an institution that enjoys similar juridical corpus as GECOM. “In recognition of this legal reality, the Judiciary has crafted its own COVID-19 protocols. It is in this same

jurisprudential vein, that the Court of Appeal, recently, ruled that the High-Level CARICOM Team cannot supervise the recount, since to do so, would be to usurp the functions, as well as, subvert the independence of GECOM, enshrined by the Constitution.”

He continued it must be clear that the directions given by the taskforce are intended to discourage International Observers, including the CARICOM High-Level Team, from returning to Guyana to observe the recount.

“It will ultimately thwart the process. I urge the chairperson to unconditionally reject those directions. I am not unmindful

of public health environment. However, GECOM must establish its own protocols, like the Judiciary.

“In so doing, it must be guided by the overriding principle that the recount must be concluded with every convenient speed. In relation to the persons travelling to Guyana for the recount, they can be tested in their home countries and tested upon arrival in Guyana. It is not rocket science.

The Chairperson can easily craft her own COVID19 guidelines. This is what the Constitution contemplates,” the Attorney stressed.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Monday April 20, 2020

Monday April 20, 2020

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

Too early to worry coronavirus will further Tennis: Germany to host exhibition event without delay Tokyo Games (Reuters) - It is premature to think the novel coronavirus outbreak will further delay the Tokyo Olympics, which have already been postponed a year, Brian McCloskey, an expert on global health security and outbreak prevention told Reuters.

Under increasing pressure from athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo Games organisers last month postponed the 2020 Games for one year as the coronavirus spread, shutting down global sport.

Yet as countries try to beat back the pandemic, with experts predicting a vaccine

is still 12-18 months away, questions have begun to surface as to whether a year’s delay is sufficient time to stage the Games in a safe environment.

“I think that’s probably a little bit premature in the sense that we’ve got 15 months more of planning and preparing for the Olympics in 2021,” McCloskey said. “So, I think it’s premature to say it’s unrealistic (that the Olympics cannot be held in 2021).

“Clearly, having a vaccine would be extremely helpful, not just for the Olympics, but for all of us. But even without a vaccine I think there are

other mitigation measures we will look at to make sure we can run the Games safely.

“So, it’s a challenge, but I’d say it’s too soon to say it can’t happen.”

The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Japan rose to 10,000 on Saturday, public broadcaster NHK said, just days after a state of emergency was extended to the entire nation in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH Just over 200 people have died from the virus in Japan.

“This year for Tokyo, it got to the point where the amount of mitigation that would have been needed was more than we could ask the

Monday April 20, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A friend or neighbor you need to contact could be in and out all day, Aries, and so you could have trouble reaching him or her.Phone or email probably won't work.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) This probably isn't a good day to do work that concerns money, Taurus. Your mind may not be in the right space.

You could make errors that cause problems.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A lost object could have all the members of your household going through every room trying to find it, Gemini probably without success.

CANCER(June21–July22) This could be a very busy day in your community, Cancer. Some kind of rally, protest, or other public gathering might take place. If you attend, you may not hear much because of all the noise, and the event could seem disorganized at best.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A future course of action that you may or may not take could depend on information you might receive today, Leo. However, don't be surprised if the information is vague and needs to be clarified.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Are you unhappy or uncertain about your current profession, Virgo? Are you thinking of making a change?

News could reach you today of possible avenues to explore, but you shouldn't make any decision today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your natural psychic or intuitive abilities could be short-circuited today, Libra.

Interference from the minds of other people could cloud issues, and this won't do you any good.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The atmosphere around you could seem somewhat unreal today. If you get a weird vibe from someone, take everything this person says with a grain of salt.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Communication could take some extra effort today. A business or romantic partner could seem like they're keeping things from you.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Messages from a distant state or foreign country, possibly through fax, email, or website, might not be totally accurate, Capricorn. If any information presented in this fashion sets off an alarm bell in your head, be sure to do some research.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Staying in touch with a love partner could be difficult today, almost to the point of causing a minor panic. Don't jump to any unwarranted conclusions about possible problems in the relationship.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Are you having problems with the lighting or heating in your home, Pisces? If so, you might not be able to get a professional out today.

There could be problems in the entire neighborhood.

Japanese government to do when the Japanese government needed to be focusing on looking after its population,” said McCloskey, a member of the World Health Organization Novel Coronavirus-19 Mass Gatherings Expert Group.

“But that could well have changed by next year. So, it’s quite possible that the outbreak will be at a level where it’s manageable without any particular risk.

“Or it may be that the vaccine arrives, it may be there’s treatment available.

So, we just need to think through the options and not jump to too many conclusions too quickly.”

McCloskey’s wait-andsee approach sounds similar to the one taken by the IOC before it decided to postpone the Games amid mounting criticism.

Athletes were angry at being left in a state of limbo by the IOC and Tokyo organisers and while the postponement has provided a cushion, the clock is once again ticking.

Sports leagues and federations around the world are preparing to emerge from the outbreak and return to action with most seemingly resigned to the fact they will be played in empty arenas and stadiums until it is safe for fans to come back.

“So, we can run through to this time next year,” said McCloskey, looking ahead to a 2021 Summer Games. “After that it gets more problematic because people have spent a lot of money, athletes have to make up their mind whether they can come or not.

“So, it gets more and more difficult the closer you get.

But I’d say there’s a willingness and an enthusiasm to make sure it happens properly.

“So, people will try hard and I think they’ll hang on to the last minute to see whether it’s safe to go.”

fans in May - report

MUMBAI (Reuters) The German state of Rhineland-Palatinate is set to host an exhibition event without the presence of fans from May 1 as the professional tennis season remains shut due to the novel coronavirus, according to The Telegraph newspaper.

Professional tennis came to a halt in March after countries started closing borders and imposed lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, and all events are currently suspended till at least midMay. The report said players at the Tennis Point Exhibition Series will have to wear masks when not in action and there will only be three people on court - two competitors and a chair umpire - during a match.

The event will be an

eight-man field contesting a total of 32 matches over four days on indoor clay at the Base Tennis Academy near the small town of HoehrGrenzhausen.

None of the players set to be involved are currently ranked in the top 100 and include singles world number 143 Yannick Hanfmann and Dustin Brown, ranked 239.

The content of the event will be broadcast by the Tennis Channel while scores will be streamed for betting through data company Sportradar.

Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Saturday that his tennis academy in south of France will host a five-week tournament starting in May that will give players the chance to get back on court during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PAGE 20

Monday April 20, 2020

Kaieteur News

Life of the late William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite celebrated - Remembered as a true son of Guyana

by GCA of NY Inc.

By Franklin Wilson Tributes poured in from the east, west, north and south in the USA and Guyana; some recorded, some live but all in tribute to the late William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite who was taken away from his wife, family and friends by the deadly novel coronavirus.

The event, organised by the Guyana Cultural Association (GCA) of New York, for the former Pele Football Club President and Secretary and Georgetown Football League President was hosted by Dr. Rose October and lasted for just under three hours on Saturday.

Even in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 virus lockdown which has hit the world, it meant that one of the ways of combating same – social distancing – being enforced worldwide prompted the GCA to utilise one of the social media platforms to stream the event live which was deemed a resounding success.

Described as an administrator, teacher, businessman and volunteer par-excellence who also possessed a caring and generous personality, the late ‘Billy’ Braithwaite touched hundreds of lives, be it in his

work environment in the airline industry in Guyana and the USA where he worked with Guyana Airways Corporation, BWIA (Caribbean Airline) and North American Airlines, the sports fraternity or the many other organisations where he volunteered his services.

As a member of the GCA, Braithwaite was as visible as can be and was always there to lend a helping hand as was recalled by the Association President, Vibert Cambridge and his Vice President, Edgar Henry.

While he was not a footballer nor cricketer, he was an accomplished table tennis player who was fearless, Minister Keith Scott recalled during his tribute.

His earthly journey also saw him rendering exceptional service to the community and was many times a mentor to young kids and his fellow workers as he wanted them to emulate his positive way to life and principles which included, discipline.

The Consul General of Guyana to NY, Barbara Atherly remembered Braithwaite as a noble and elegant family man; his daughter Billie Braithwaite also remembered her father and indicated that when

normalcy is restored following Covid-19, the family plans to have a social memorial, the ‘Billy’ Braithwaite way.

Dawn Braithwaite, the youngest sister of ‘Billy’ recalled that he was one of the greatest men and warmest soul she has ever known and she has lots to thank him for.

There were also tributes from William Braithwaite’s former aviation colleagues: former Guyana Airways colleagues, Mackie Griffith reminisced that at GAC they played an aviation cricket tournament in England against other airlines including Pakistan and William Braithwaite was part of the local team.

Fitz George remembered him as an amazing person who was always willing to lend a helping hand and willing to volunteer. Another colleague, Colin Lovell, recalled that Braithwaite was responsible for him getting the job and would always be thankful.

From North American Airlines, Jenny DeBarros shared that he was a sociable and affable man of conviction and helpful, while Michelle Dundas said he was a charismatic individual.

Braithwaite also worked with BWIA now Caribbean

Wuhan football team make emotional return to virus ground zero AFP - Wuhan Zall, the Chinese Super League team from the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, made an emotional return to their home city after more than three months torn from their families.

Zall endured a turbulent 104 days on the road — including being stranded in Spain — because Wuhan was sealed off in January when the virus killed and infected thousands there.

The city is now emerging from its weeks-long lockdown and hundreds of chanting fans met the Zall players when they arrived at Wuhan’s train station late Saturday, state media said.

Wearing masks, the players had bouquets of flowers thrust into their hands as supporters clad in the team’s orange colours held banners and sang.

“After more than three months of wandering, the homesick Wuhan Zall team members finally set foot in their hometown,” the team said on the Twitter-like Weibo.

The squad, led by their Spanish coach Jose Gonzalez, will now spend a few days at home before resuming training on Wednesday.

“The local players will be reunited with their families, having not seen them for more than three months,” said Zall, who finished sixth last year in the top-flight CSL. “The club is very grateful for the support and understanding of the players’ families.”

The squad’s return home is the final chapter in a long saga.

They began training for the new Chinese Super League season, since postponed indefinitely, in early January in the southern city of Guangzhou.

They flew to Malaga, Spain towards the end of January, by which time the city of Wuhan and its 11 million people were under harsh restrictions because of the coronavirus outbreak. “They are not walking viruses, they are athletes,” Gonzalez told Spanish media at the time, pleading for his players not to be demonised.

But when the virus began taking hold in Spain in March, Zall made arrangements to fly back to China, where the number of infections was slowing markedly.

Wuhan was still sealed off so the squad, via a prolonged transit in Germany, flew to China’s southern city of Shenzhen on March 16. They went into three weeks of quarantine, followed by training in the nearby city of Foshan, before taking a high-speed train from Guangzhou to Wuhan on Saturday evening.

Zall are preparing for a season that still has no start date. The CSL was supposed to begin on February 22 but could now kick off in late June, according to latest reports.

China’s government says it has curbed coronavirus at home, but on Friday admitted errors in tallying the death toll in Wuhan and raised the count there by 50 percent to 3,869.

Airlines.

Ivor O’Brien recalled that his former friend was a very efficient and firm person who was the essence of compassion; Ivor Denis Carrington of the Pele Alumni read a poem that was penned by a former player and captain of Pele, Gordon Braithwaite and noted that ‘Billy’ believed in and thrived on the four D’s; Discipline, Determination, Dedication and Dignity.

John Yates, who took over the Presidency of Pele FC from Braithwaite who set the club on a positive development path, also remembered his colleague and the excellent path that he started for the club’s dominance of the sport and the holistic development of the players in the early days.

The outpouring of love for the Braithwaite family also came from the St. Ambrose Alumni Association of NY through Sheldon Joseph who

recalled that ‘Billy’ was focused and passionate about charitable work.

Dr. Frank Denbow also of the St. Ambrose Alumni Association recalled his colleague and friend as a helper of the less fortunate.

Lorraine Croft-Farnell of the St. Rose’s Alumni Association also reminisced on the positive contributions and advice given to them by Braithwaite.

Patricia Jordan-Langford – President Guyana Tri-State Alliance said that he was a true patriot who celebrated Guyana and Guyanese and that his hallmarks were respect, dedication and integrity.

Guyanese musical icon Hilton Hemerding did a brief verbal tribute before a recording of his version of the popular hymn, How Great Thou Art was played. There were also musical tributes from Mr. Edgar Henry, Dr. Keith Proctor (both on the

piano), Avis Joseph (Violinist), Erwin “Flantis” Edwards (Saxophonist), Soloist Neika Jewelle and Devon Webster (Violinist) accompanied by Ronald Lashley, Anthony Alleyne, Rodway Choir, Winston ‘Jeggae’ Hoppie (live), Erwin “Flantis” Edwards (live).

Rose October tribute came in the form of a dance that was a recorded excerpt from a Valerie Rodway Concert held last year; some of the above renditions also came from this concert which ‘Billy’ Braithwaite attended and was very impressed with, noting that it was the best event of that kind that was ever put together by the GCA. Other tributes came from Franklin ‘Bobby’ Vieira, Ron Bobb-Semple, Thelma Jenkins-Anthony, Dr. Terrance Blackman, Mildred Lowe, Sybil Chester, Leslie Stewart (Charlestown Alumni Association) and Louis Kilkenny.

Farah hails ‘mind-blowing’ WWII veteran fundraiser AFP - British distance great Mo Farah has said his medal-winning exploits “don’t mean anything” compared to the exploits of a 99-year-old British World War II veteran and coronavirus fundraiser.

Tom Moore, a captain who served in India, has raised more than £25 million ($31 million, 29 million euros) for health workers, having initially set out to raise just £1,000 by walking 100 laps of his garden.

British distance great Mo Farah has said his medalwinning exploits “don’t mean anything” compared to the exploits of a 99-year-old British World War II veteran and coronavirus fundraiser.

Tom Moore, a captain who served in India, has raised more than £25 million ($31 million, 29 million euros) for health workers, having initially set out to raise just £1,000 by walking 100 laps of his garden.

“It’s incredible — there are no real words to describe Tom,” four-time Olympic gold medallist Farah told Sky Sports News on Sunday.

“I’ve won medals for years, but that doesn’t mean anything really,” added Farah, the 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games.

“To come back to reality

Moore tribute - Britain’s Mo Farah.

(AFP/File/Justin Tallis) and realise you’re making a difference for so many people who are putting their lives at risk — for someone at his age it’s mind-blowing,” added Farah of Moore, who has become something of a global phenomenon thanks to social media.

“We get celebrated for making the country proud winning medals, but (other people) should be celebrated too for putting their lives at risk and doing the charity work.”

With all major sport worldwide suspended due to the outbreak and what should have been this year’s Olympics in Tokyo postponed until 2021, Farah has been involved in some fundraising efforts of his own on behalf of the UK’s

National Health Service amid a national lockdown in Britain.

Farah recently completed the Run for Heroes 5K on a treadmill at his home after being nominated by former Chelsea captain John Terry.

Those taking part are asked to donate £5 after completing the event and to then nominate five more further individuals to take up the challenge.

“It’s really important to see the work they are doing to help others.

“I got nominated by John Terry, who has been doing a lot of running. It’s nice to see so many people coming out and creating challenges.

“We have got the time on our hands so let’s get involved.”

Monday April 20, 2020

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Marnus Labuschagne’s ‘phenomenal’ growth the highlight for Andrew McDonald ESPNcricinfo - The rise of Marnus Labuschagne into the prolific Test No. 3 who dominated the Australian home summer even surprised some who had seen him close at hand.

In five Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand, Labuschagne scored 896 runs at 112.00 with four centuries including a maiden double at the SCG. It followed his dramatic return to the Test side during the Ashes as Steven Smith’s concussion replacement at Lord’s and two matches later he was handed the No. 3 spot which he has now made his own.

Andrew McDonald watched Labuschagne’s monumental season at close quarters having been appointed as Justin Langer’s assistant coach at the start of the summer. Though he had studied Labuschagne during his time as Victoria’s head coach, McDonald admitted the player who emerged was beyond what could have been imagined.

“The real surprise for me, and it’s been pretty well documented, was Marnus.

His growth into that Test No.

3 position was phenomenal and great to witness,” McDonald told ESPNcricinfo’s One-on-One series. “I’ve done a fair bit of coaching against him at the state level and had never seen the level he has been able to play at and long may it be the case.”

Labuschagne also had his first taste of ODI cricket earlier this year when he made his debut in India on the tour where McDonald stood in for Langer as head coach.

Across seven ODIs, Labuschagne is already averaging 50.83 with a strike rate of 94.42 and made a maiden century against South Africa in Potchefstroom.

“He was good in the 50over game batting in the middle order, him and Steve Smith, he’s a very good player of spin,” McDonald said. “So going forward to a World Cup in 2023 think he’ll be a part of that one-day team with a view to being on the big stage in 2023 assuming all goes well.

His ability to play spin, fast bowling, rotate [strike], he’s a good fielder, so there’s a handy package there. A good find for the selectors who

persisted with him - no one saw that, so full credit to those who picked him.”

Australia’s ODI form during the 2019-2020 season - mostly away from home with series in India and South Africa - was poor as they suffered five defeats in a row before returning to winning ways against New Zealand at an empty SCG, in what became the final match of the Australian season as the coronavirus pandemic shut sport down.

However, their T20I cricket was much more impressive as they comfortably defeated Sri Lanka and Pakistan early in the home summer before clinching a 2-1 victory in South Africa.

The notable tactical shift at the start of the season was to play five frontline bowlers with leftarm spinner Ashton Agar at No. 7, putting the onus on specialists rather than allrounders, before Mitchell Marsh was recalled for the series in South Africa.

McDonald suggested a flexible approach will continue as Australia look to build their T20 side - although the T20 World Cup in October is now

Ineos world champion Rohan Dennis in lewd lockdown spat – reports Paris (AFP) - Team Ineos’ Australian world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis has closed his Instagram and Twitter accounts after appearing to break Spain’s lockdown law over the weekend.

The talented 29-year-old from Adelaide is the world time-trial champion but has a reputation as a loose cannon and quit team Bahrain-Merida after parking his bike by the team bus and disappearing during the last Tour de France.

This weekend he voiced his dissatisfaction on Instagram with the length of the lockdown before deleting his accounts.

Screen grabs from other Instagram users showed posts such as: “Day 34 – cracked and left the house. #covid19 can suck my ass and so can #quarantine.”

The accompanying photo appeared to have been taken on a country-road from a car.

Ineos is active in the fight against Covid-19, producing hand sanitiser and delivering it to hospitals.

Having won stages on all three Grand Tours Dennis joined Ineos for the 2020 season and would likely have been a contender for May’s

Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his double-hundred. (Getty Images) in doubt due to the pandemic - and that the return of Glenn Maxwell to the top order would further bolster the options.

“We’ve seen Australia play five out and out bowlers - two spinners and three quicks - and finish their batting at No. 6 with Agar at

No. 7. In that combination you have five strong bowling options, so your all-round option in the top six isn’t that critical.

Whereas if you flip it around and want to lengthen your batting slightly then clearly your allrounder becomes pivotal.

“We’ve seen Mitch Marsh come back into the fold, so he looks as though he has a little handle on that position at the moment and there are some other options in Australian cricket as well.

Glenn Maxwell is missing as well so he could be classified as a spin allrounder.”

‘Tomorrow, Mbappe will cost €40m at most’ - French politician predicts massive transfer market changes

Australia’s Rohan Dennis winning the men’s world individual time-trial title at Harrogate in 2019 (AFP Photo/Oli Scarff) postponed Giro d’Italia and favourite to defend his world crown in Switzerland in September.

Dennis lives in Girona, close to the Pyrenees.

- Tour de France disappearance Dennis is widely reported to have told on-line critics he was only being honest and asking if they would prefer him to lie.

The rider famously climbed off his bike early in the 12th stage of the Tour de

France in 2019 with no explanation a day ahead of a time-trial he would have been favourite to win.

Dennis was at that time being primed as a Grand Tour contender who could pulverise time-trials and defend himself on the climbs, as he did when coming second on the 2019 Tour de Suisse.

Dennis won the first stage of the 2015 Tour de France and briefly wore the famed yellow jersey.

Goal.com - Daniel CohnBendit, a politician who was a long-standing member of the European Parliament, says that football has been transformed by the coronavirus pandemic and that stars such as Kylian Mbappe will now be worth a fraction of their previous asking prices.

Mbappe had been linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with suggestions that the transfer fee could reach up to €300 million (£260m/$326m).

The Covid-19 pandemic, however, will transform the face of the game, according to the left-wing former MEP, who says that when sport restarts, it will do so amid a very different landscape.

“This crisis will clean up the irrationality of professional sport. It’s like there was a nuclear attack and it had to be rebuilt, but on other grounds,” he told Ouest France.

“Tomorrow, Mbappe will cost at most €35-40m and no longer €200m. And who can buy him?

“There will be de facto regulation. Going even further

Kylian Mbappe on a salary cap could be necessary.

It is a reorganisation that goes not only through the players’ salaries, but also through the right to images and publicity.

We have to break the system of managers, of those who do business.”

Cohn-Bendit believes this could be a positive thing in the long term.

“A little more sobriety is enough for me,” he said. “A little more sobriety and a little more equality would be a good start. Footballers will not play worse if they are paid less.”

He believes that it could see sport as a whole return to its core values, starting with the Olympic Games, which are

due to take place in Paris in 2024 after Tokyo 2020 was pushed back a year owing to the world health crisis.

“Whenever there is a referendum on the Olympic Games, people always say no,” he said, referring to the 2024 Olympiad in France.

“Today, people watch the Olympics but don’t want that at home. “It is necessary to rethink the gigantism of the Olympic Games and to return to more simplicity.

“How? I don’t know. It depends on us, the fans.”

Football in France, like Europe’s other major countries, is currently frozen with no clear indication on when or if the current Ligue 1 season will be completed.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Monday April 20, 2020

What cricket means to West Indians (Part 8)

Viv Richards continues Windies winning ways Richards, in his first series as skipper, continued the dominance of Lloyd’s team by beating New Zealand 2-nil in the 1985 four-test series in the West Indies after the first two matches ended in draws.

Guyana’s off-spinner Clyde Butts made his debut in the second test on his home ground Bourda and will mainly remember that game (he went wicket-less) for his wedding on the rest day. In those days the ‘rest’ day was taken after the third day of the match.

Richards followed in the footsteps of Lloyd by beating England 5-nil in the 1986 series in the Caribbean.

H e w o n a r e c o r d 11 consecutive test victories from April - December 1984- three against Australia at home, five in England and another three in Australia.

We s t I n d i e s , w h o enjoyed 27 matches without a defeat between January 1982 and December 1984, was now the most feared team in International cricket.

Greenidge and Haynes built solid foundations for Richardson, Richards, Gomes, Logie, Dujon and the bowlers to work on. Both openers scored their first century against Australia in the second innings of the first test in the 1984 series at Bourda to register tons against every team they had played against as West Indies made 250-0 in the drawn game.

Off spinner Roger H a r p e r, w h o t o o k 4 6 wickets, played 25 test matches (the most by any spinner during the West Indies era of pace and fire) but he played mainly due to his brilliant fielding and ability as a competent lower order batsman.

A twenty-year-old Carl Hooper made his debut in the 1987 series in India and scored a classy hundred in his second test. Richards, Logie and Greenidge also scored centuries on that tour which the West Indies drew 1-all.

While specialist spinner

Butts failed to take a wicket in the match, leg-spinner Hirwani took eight wickets in both innings of the last test to give India victory reinforcing the ‘all pace’ policy by Richards’ team.

Wi t h M a r s h a l l t h e spearhead and Walsh and Ambrose now key players in the team, England narrowly avoided another white wash in the 1988 series in England when they lost 4-nil after drawing the first test.

The West Indies drew the 3-test 1988 series against Pakistan in the Caribbean 1all, while the West Indies beat England 4-nil in a five test series in England after the first test ended in a draw.

Fast Bowler Ian Bishop and left handed batsman Keith Arthurton made their debuts. Arthurton, from Nevis, had scored heavily in the 1988 inaugural Red Stripe Cup regional First Class competition and registered two tons against the touring Pakistan team (in St Lucia & Guyana for the WI under-23 and WI Board

Viv Richards was larger than life.

IX respectively).

From England the West Indies traveled to Australia for the 1988-89 five test series which the Caribbean side won 3-1 with consecutive wins in the first three tests.

The fourth test was drawn when Alan Border, with his uncomplicated leftarm spin, snapped up 11 wickets in the match, while the West Indies spinner Harper failed to pick up a single scalp.

West Indies beat India three-nil in the four-test series after the first test was rained out at Bourda after Richie Richardson blasted a brilliant 194 and Greenidge 90 in batting friendly conditions in Guyana.

In the 1990 five-test home series against England, the West Indies won the series 2-1.

Under Richards, the West Indies lost the first test by nine wickets in Jamaica, while the second test was completely rained out in Guyana where the second test in the 1981 series against England was called off when the Forbes Burnham PNC Government deported South African born England allrounder Robin Jackman from the South American country.

Haynes took over from an ill Richards to captain the side in the third test which ended in a draw in Trinidad.

The West Indies won the fourth test in Barbados with Ambrose producing a sensational performance, while the final test in Antigua ended the series with another win for the West Indies team as Richards returned to the leadership for the last two tests. Haynes led the West Indies in the three test 1990 series to Pakistan and Brain Lara, who had scored consistently at all levels, finally made his test debut in the third test and scored 44 in an important partnership with Hooper who scored 134. The series was drawn 1-all and Richards, who missed the Pakistan series due to injury, took back the captaincy and beat Australia 2-1 in the 1991 home series with a rare win in the second test in Georgetown when Richardson scored 188 and Haynes scored a century.

Richardson had scored another ton in Jamaica and 99 in Barbados (LBW to Mark Waugh). Greenidge also scored a double in the Barbados test as the West

Ritchie Richardson loved batting at Bourda.

Indies notched up their other win in the series.

After drawing the 1991 away series against England 2-all, when Clayton Lambert made his debut, Richards was replaced as skipper by his countryman Richardson.

Bajan boycott mars S/Africa’s 1992 re-entry to Test cricket The historic 1992 test in Barbados marked South Africa’s first test since they were banned from international sport in 1970 due to the apartheid system in their white ruled county at that time.

West Indies came back to win that match as Ambrose took 6-34 as the visitors catapulted for 148 in their second innings with Adams (79* and 4-43) taking the

man-of-the-match on debut.

The visitors were 123-2 needing 201 to win on the last day before Ambrose and Walsh, watched by a crowd of less than 1000 spectators, took the eight remaining wickets for 25 runs to give the home team a remarkable victory.

The fans stayed away from the Kensington Oval in protest of the omission of Barbados medium fast bowler Anderson Cummins.

Another nail-biting affair was the climax of the 1993 series in Australia when West Indies won by one run to draw the series.

In 1993, Sri Lanka drew their inaugural test in the one-test series against the West Indies in Sri Lanka.

(Sean Devers)

Gordon Greenidge hooks.

Kaieteur News

Monday April 20, 2020

PAGE 23

Brighton’s Amex Stadium to serve as COVID-19 testing centre (Reuters) - Brighton & H o v e A l b i o n ’s A m e x Stadium has been converted into a drive-through COVID-19 testing centre to assist the National Health Service (NHS) during the new coronavirus outbreak, the Premier League club said yesterday.

Soccer in England has been suspended since March 13 because of the virus that has infected over 2.31 million people globally causing more than 158,000 deaths.

Several Premier League clubs have chipped in to help the NHS workers in United Kingdom, where more than 15,000 people have died due to the flu-like virus.

“The Amex will be the biggest testing site anywhere on the south coast, and will be used for self-testing and assisted testing,” Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said in a statement on their website.

The club said the

initiative is part of the government’s drive to increase testing for thousands of NHS staff and other key workers fighting to curb the spread of the virus.

“The centre was scheduled to see more than 50 NHS frontline workers on Saturday afternoon, and they will have the results of their tests within 48 hours,” Barber added.

“Within a few days, the site should reach its capacity of up to 1,000 tests a day.”

Tottenham Hotspur have also installed medical equipment in their new stadium to operate drivethrough COVID-19 testing and swabbing for NHS staff and their families.

Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea are among other clubs actively involved in helping the NHS staff.

Premier League footballers have also launched a fund to raise money for NHS charities.

General view of The Amex Community Stadium before the game between Brighton & Hove Albion v Derby County. (Action Images / Adam Holt)

‘A superb gesture’ - Roma players France’s Pinot can’t wait to be on volunteer to forgo four months’ salary the road again with Tour in mind PARIS (Reuters) - Frenchman Thibaut Pinot cannot wait to be allowed to train on the road again as part of his preparation for the Tour de France after the race was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Frenchman, third overall in 2014 and who was a top contender when he pulled out injured two days before the finish last year, has had enough of working on his home trainer.

“The home trainer is not my thing, it’s got nothing to do with the sensations you usually have on the bike,” Pinot, who has confined at home since March 17, told his GroupamaFDJ team website yesterday.

“I’m still doing it to say that I train but it is

not a real part of my preparations. Virtual platforms were fun for a couple of weeks but I’m over it.”

Pinot, however, believes that the new Tour de France dates, from Aug. 29 to Sept 20, will suit him.

“Even if there can be hot days, it’s got nothing to do with July, which pleases me. It’s a disadvantage that I won’t have to deal with,” explained the 29-year-old, who fares better in cold than hot conditions.

With no elite racing allowed before Aug. 1, Pinot does not know in which condition he will start the Tour.

“Nobody can tell if they will be at 100% on the Tour,” he said.

Roma have not played since 1 March.

BBC Sport - Roma chief executive Guido Fienga has praised his players’ “superb gesture” after they volunteered to forgo four months’ salary to help the club during the coronavirus pandemic.

The players, manager Paulo Fonseca and his staff will also pay the difference to ensure all club staff placed on furlough receive their full salary.

Led by captain Edin Dzeko, the team and Fonseca approached Roma’s hierarchy.

“We always talk about unity at Roma,” said Fienga.

“In volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together.

“Edin Dzeko, all the players and Paulo have demonstrated they understand what

this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club.”

Roma have not played since 1 March, just days before the Serie A season was postponed.

In a letter to Fienga, the players said: “We players are ready to start playing as soon as possible, giving the maximum to achieve our goals, but we also realise that all this will not be enough to face the economic consequences of the current emergency.

“With the hope of doing something that will help the company to better restart the Roma project that we all share, we offer this financial proposal.”

Italy currently has the highest death toll from coronavirus in Europe, with more than 23,000 confirmed deaths.

Groupama-FDJ rider Thibaut Pinot of France finishes The 27.5-km Stage 13 Individual Time Trial from Pau to Pau during the Tour de France. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo)

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William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite

Life of the late William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite celebrated by GCA of NY Inc. - Remembered as a true son of Guyana

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British WWII veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, has raised over £25 million for healthcare workers after gaining global attention with his garden walks. (AFP/Justin Tallis)

Wuhan football team make emotional return to virus ground zero

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